Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for generating vortex rings in a fluid medium. The apparatus is immersed in a body of water, and an air pump feeds gas in the form of air directly into the base of the apparatus through a gas inlet or the gas is provided from a container with a finite quantity of gas. A nozzle extends from the gas inlet to a pocket located on an underside of a lever. As air is pumped into the pocket, the air forms a single bubble, and when the force of the air mass exceeds the weight of the lever, the lever rises and the air mass travels as a cohesive unit to an exit nozzle. When the lever reaches the maximum height displacement defined by a resilient upper stop, the air exits the lever through a nozzle and forms a vortex ring.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for generating vortex rings in a fluid medium. The apparatus is immersed in a body of water, and an air pump feeds gas in the form of air directly into the base of the apparatus through a gas inlet or the gas is provided from a container with a finite quantity of gas. A nozzle extends from the gas inlet to a pocket located on an underside of a lever. As air is pumped into the pocket, the air forms a single bubble, and when the force of the air mass exceeds the weight of the lever, the lever rises and the air mass travels as a cohesive unit to an exit nozzle. When the lever reaches the maximum height displacement defined by a resilient upper stop, the air exits the lever through a nozzle and forms a vortex ring.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for generating vortex rings in a fluid medium. The apparatus is immersed in a body of water, and an air pump feeds gas in the form of air directly into the base of the apparatus through a gas inlet or the gas is provided from a container with a finite quantity of gas. A nozzle extends from the gas inlet to a pocket located on an underside of a lever. As air is pumped into the pocket, the air forms a single bubble, and when the force of the air mass exceeds the weight of the lever, the lever rises and the air mass travels as a cohesive unit to an exit nozzle. When the lever reaches the maximum height displacement defined by a resilient upper stop, the air exits the lever through a nozzle and forms a vortex ring.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for generating vortex rings in a fluid medium. The apparatus is immersed in a body of water, and an air pump feeds gas in the form of air directly into the base of the apparatus through a gas inlet or the gas is provided from a container with a Finite quantity of gas. A nozzle extends from the gas inlet to a pocket located on an underside of a lever. As air is pumped into the pocket, the air forms a single bubble, and when the force of the air mass exceeds the weight of the lever, the lever rises and the air mass travels as a cohesive unit to an exit nozzle. When the lever reaches the maximum height displacement defined by a resilient upper stop, the air exits the lever through a nozzle and forms a vortex ring.

Abstract: The invention is a method and apparatus for generating vortex rings in a fluid medium. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus is immersed in a body of water, and an air pump feeds gas in the form of air directly into the base of the apparatus through a gas inlet. A longitudinal nozzle extends from the gas inlet to a pocket located on an underside of a lever. In a rest position prior to allowing gas to enter the apparatus, the distal end of the lever is held in a position resting against a lower stop which is slightly lower than the position that would place the lever horizontal with the horizon. As air is continuously pump into the pocket, the air forms a single bubble, and when the force of the air mass exceeds the weight of the lever, the lever rises and the air mass travels as a cohesive unit to an exit nozzle.

Abstract: A system and method for assisting a consumer in selecting items from a master list of available items, when the consumer has already sampled some of the available items, and indicated a favorable response to a subset of the sampled items by including the names of the favored items on an input list. The system recommends items from the master list based on the input list of favored items. These recommended items having a high probability of appeal to the consumer. The accuracy of the recommendations is achieved by calculating degrees of similarity between different items on the master list. The similarities are calculated by storing how often the items are linked together, by appearing together on the input lists of previous consumers. Each use of the system by a consumer then increases the accuracy of the system, since one more input list is added to the table of input lists captured from previous consumers.